Adjustable shelving employing shelves constructed of sheet metal or wire is well known and extensively utilized in numerous environments whereby the shelving is exposed to not only a wide range of environmental conditions but is also exposed to widely varying shelf loads. Shelving of this general type, which is often referred to as knock-down shelving since it is intended to be readily assembled and disassembled, conventionally employs upright corner posts which are designed to permit horizontal shelves to be mounted thereon at selected vertical increments, which shelves and corner posts generally have a cooperating corner structure therebetween which is intended to facilitate the mounting of the shelf on the post. While many of the known shelf units have provided adequate strength and rigidity, nevertheless many of the known units have required assembly procedures which are more difficult than desired and hence have impaired the flexible utilization of the shelf unit, or have possessed structural features which have either failed to provide the desired strength and rigidity or have been unsuitable for use in restaurant and hospital environments requiring sanitary conditions.
In one fairly common type of corner structure employed by a large number of conventional shelving units, each shelf is provided with corner structures fixedly associated with each corner thereof. This corner structure involves a closed collar structure defining therein a vertical opening for accommodating a corner post. With such arrangement, all four corner posts must be slidably inserted through the collars associated with the corners of each shelf, or in the alternative the individual shelves must be positioned with the collars aligned with the posts so that the shelf can be slid downwardly along the posts into position. Once the collars and posts have been properly interfitted and positionally related, then such shelving units conventionally employ separate wedge members or threaded fasteners for fixedly securing the shelf to the post at the desired elevation. This type of structural arrangement, however, increases the complexity of the assembly and disassembly operation. Further, shelving units of this type do not permit the addition or removal of an intermediate shelf after the shelving unit has been assembled without first requiring assembly or disassembly of the other shelving units disposed either above or below the intermediate shelf. This hence greatly restricts usage of the shelving unit since changes in the configuration of the shelving unit hence require complex assembly and disassembly procedures.
Another conventional configuration for known shelving units employs a corner structure which requires the use of threaded fasteners or the like for securing the individual shelves to the corner posts. In units of this type, oftentimes the shelf itself directly connects to the corner post by threaded fasteners, or in the alternative a special corner member such as a collar or the like is fitted onto the corner post and then this corner member in turn is secured to the shelf by threaded fasteners. Assembling shelving units in this fashion is also manually difficult and inefficient due to the difficulty in properly positioning and holding all of the various pieces, while at the same time attempting to position and secure the threaded fasteners. Such units often require two persons to accomplish the assembly operation. Further, shelving of this type often fails to provide the necessary strength and rigidity required to prevent the shelving unit from experiencing sway or lean when loaded.
Another problem associated with many of the known shelving units is the complexity of the corner structure used for connecting the shelves to the corner posts. Many of the known corner structures employ either a substantial number of pieces and/or pieces of extremely complex configuration which are expensive to fabricate. Such complex corner arrangements hence not only significantly and undesirable increase the cost of the shelving unit, but also often result in complex and difficult assembly techniques.
Examples of known shelving units of this general
type are illustrated by U.S. Pat. Nos. 911,567, 3,173,385, 3,424,111, 3, 523,508, 3,604,369, 3,664,274, 3,757,705, 3,874,511, 4,128,064, 4,138,953, 4,237,798 and 4,257,333.
Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved adjustable shelving unit, specifically a metal shelving unit, having an improved corner structure coacting between the shelves and the corner posts.
More specifically, this invention relates to an improved shelving unit having a corner structure which facilitates both assembly and disassembly of the shelves with respect to the corner posts, which provides a wedging relationship so as to provide for a secure and rigid shelving unit when assembled, which provides increased flexibility with respect to modification of the shelving unit by permitting removal of an intermediate shelf without requiring disassembly of the complete unit, and which provides minimal cracks or crevices so as to permit utilization of the unit in environments requiring sanitary conditions.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved shelving unit, as aforesaid, which permits assembly due to a wedging cooperation between two clamping members associated with the corner structure, whereby the assembly and disassembly does not require insertion or removal of threaded fasteners, whereupon the shelving unit can be easily and efficiently assembled by a single person.
Still another object of the invention is to provide an improved shelving unit, as aforesaid, which employs a corner structure formed by two basic cooperating clamping members having a wedge relationship therebetween, one of the members being fixedly or removably attached to the shelf and the other being disposed so as to surround the corner post, which two members wedgingly cooperate so as to also result in the corner post being clampingly held between the two members to permit a simple but rigid and strong securement of the corner structure to the post.
In a preferred embodiment of the improved shelving unit of this invention, each shelf is preferably of a planar matlike structure formed from a plurality of substantially parallel wires which extend between and are rigidly secured to supporting trusses which extend along the edges of the shelf. Each corner of the shelf has a platelike bracket rigidly associated therewith. A corner structure coacts between each bracket and a respective corner post, which post is preferably of a tubular cross section and has dimplelike recesses formed therein at selected vertically spaced intervals. The corner structure employs a strap which surrounds the post and creates intimate clamping contact with the post over approximately one-half of the external periphery thereof. This strap also preferably has interior projections which engage the dimples on the post. The corner structure also employs a corner piece which is stationarily secured to the bracket on the shelf. The corner piece includes a downwardly cantilevered wedge portion which has a front surface adapted for engaging the periphery of the post over approximately one-half the extent thereof. The cantilevered wedge portion vertically slidably wedgingly engages within a wedgelike slot formed between the strap and the post to effect clamping of the post between the strap and corner piece.
Other objects and purposes of the improved structure according to this invention will be apparent to persons familiar with structures of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.